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EpiPen

‘First Day on the Bus’ with Drivers Ready to Help Kids with Allergies

February 12, 2018 by Inside Press

Article and Photos by Grace Bennett

Chappaqua, NY, February 12— For most kids, boarding a bus by the middle of February is a non event.  But for two Grafflin elementary school students–Luke Leopold, 5, and Jared Saiontz, 10–it was a milestone filled with excitement, pride and clear joy.

State Assemblyman David Buchwald with Luke and Jared as they boarded a bus for the first time to take them to school.

It was the first time either boy took the school bus–thanks to the passage of new, New York State legislation that authorizes bus drivers who choose to participate to administer life-saving epinephrine to a child undergoing anaphylaxis, an allergic reaction that has a rapid onset and can quickly turn deadly. (Check with your school and your bus company.) The law went into effect today paving the way for safe travel for the two boys, both of whom have food allergies.

New York State Assemblyman David Buchwald, who introduced the bill, escorted Luke and Jared to the bus. Sporting their backpacks with epinephrine-delivering devices clipped onto the back of  them, the two boys joined hands sauntering over together to the bus before proudly climbing on board. The bus driver greeted them with a broad smile.

Buchwald later described the moment as “what I live for as a legislator,” in that, he said, he could “help youngsters live the life they imagined.”

State Senator Terrence Murphy sponsored the bill in the state Senate and Governor Cuomo signed in the law the bill which now allows school bus drivers and others employed by firms providing services to schools to administer epinephrine when a child suffers anaphylaxis shock.

The law, Buchwald explained, allows school kids who have allergies (both food related–1/13 children have food allergies–or due to other causes such as bee stings) to ride the bus in safety.  “Previously no responsible adult was authorized to respond.” Without a quick response to an unanticipated attack, a child could go into anaphylactic shock and possibly die. The drivers can receive training using the auto injector that delivers epinephrine (known widely by its trade name, the Epi Pen). Kids with allergies keep the device fastened outside their backpacks for immediate access. 

Jared’s mom, Stacey Saiontz, and Luke’s mom, Jackie Leopold saw the kids off too. They had both advocated for passage of the legislation. Stacey recalled a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl whose life was saved by a bus driver administering epinephrine. This morning, she was simply elated.  “I’m so excited for Jared and Luke and all the other food allergic children who rode the school bus safely today,” she said. “THEY are so excited.”

Grace Bennett is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Inside Press.

 

Filed Under: New Castle News Tagged With: Allergies, Epinephrine, EpiPen, School bus, State Assemblyman David Buchwald

Christine Ackerman on Being Open & Engaged

October 22, 2017 by The Inside Press

An Avid Runner, the CCSD’s New Superintendent also Goes the Extra Mile to Emphasize Communication, Transparency and Supporting District Wide Initiatives in STEM, Health – and Social Justice, too.

PHOTO BY GRACE BENNETT

BY GRACE BENNETT

Maybe I’m just getting older, but upon meeting new Chappaqua school district Superintendent Christine Ackerman this past summer, I could not help but marvel at how youthful she seemed; I was certain she was young enough to be my daughter. Ok, well almost! And so I asked her how her youth might lend a reinvigoration of sorts and fresh perspective to our schools while taking on 21st century challenges.

First, some background: Ackerman, only 39 years old, comes to Chappaqua after three years as Superintendent of the Greenwood Lake Union Free School District, following four years as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Pupil Personnel Services with the Millbrook Central School District, where she had served as its high school principal for a year and a half. Prior to that, she was Assistant Principal & Director of Social Services at Valhalla Middle/High School, Dean of Students at John Jay High School in Katonah, and a teacher and Dean of Students in the New York City school system.

A native of Vernon, New Jersey and one of four children, she credits her decision to take an unorthodox route for an educator – going directly from college to graduate school to receiving her PhD – as the reason that doors opened very quickly and enable her to compile such an impressive and varied resume for someone so young.

A New and Broader Outlook

“I think I have a fresh perspective. I’ve had a lot of different experiences in various roles within a school district,” Ackerman explained when asked what she brings to Chappaqua. “I’ve been a teacher, an assistant principal, a principal, an assistant superintendent for special ed, for curriculum and instruction, and superintendent, so I think I have a large frame of reference, which I am able to use when I’m looking at different issues, whether they’re instructional or social/emotional.” She elaborated that she will be able to draw from her experiences in diverse districts, “from high-performing districts to the inner-city,” enabling her to work with different constituent groups on a wide range of issues.

She also stressed the value of having her own children (a third grader at Westorchard and a fifth grader at Seven Bridges) enrolled in Chappaqua schools. “I can’t underscore the importance of having my own kids here: it’s very, very important,” said Ackerman, a single mom in the district. “I want people to have confidence in the fact that I feel that this is the best place for my kids to receive an education. I think it speaks volumes, it speaks more than anything I could ever say to have my own children to be able to experience what I feel is one of the best educational experiences they could have in the state, if not the country.”

“When you have children that go through the district, it gives a different perspective, not only as an administrator, but as a mom,” Ackerman continued. “You get real time experience when you’re a mom – the homework, the assessments – you have a different lens because you’re not only looking at it in terms of how the structure and the education and social program are operating, but you’re looking at it in terms of how your own child is experiencing it.” She added that “it lends a different credibility” when people know that decisions she makes as an instructional leader will directly impact her own children too.

As an example, Ackerman described transitioning one of her prior district’s anthology reading program to a writing workshop program – what currently exists in Chappaqua – as the literacy instructional base. Not surprisingly, there were many questions, and she was able to “very clearly say it benefits [the children, including my own] and why these are the practices I’ll be doing with my own children at home to support what’s happening in the classroom.”

Ackerman does not sense any real discomfort of her kids or their teachers in her dual position as Superintendent and classroom mom. “I think [my kids] are proud of their mom, and they see me because I’m very present in the buildings with the kids. For them it’s normal to have their mom walking around the building and going in and out of their classes,” she said. She added that in her prior Superintendent position, if “any initial unfamiliarity with me existed, as time went on and the frequency of my interactions with the people increased, I think that any kind of trepidation dissipated. It would be my goal, though, that people would feel comfortable interacting with me as a colleague, not necessarily as a supervisor, because I think that’s where the best collaboration happens for kids.”

Ackerman’s children, like their mom, however, are most excited about the opportunities available to them in Chappaqua. “The facilities and the extracurricular program in Chappaqua is unbelievable; when it’s all you’ve experienced, you don’t really have a broader perspective of what else is out there for kids,” she said, noting the difference in other schools her children have attended. “When we pulled up to Seven Bridges and my son saw where he was going to school, he was amazed, and so was I,” she added.

“All of our facilities are so thoughtful and designed in a way to really support instruction differently. The opportunities here are endless for our kids, and I am just so privileged that my kids are going to be able to have that same opportunity as other students.”

Full STEAM Ahead: Collaboration and Technology

Emphasizing the high level of instruction in our district schools, Ackerman hopes to even further enhance technological and collaborative tools to even better prepare our students for college and beyond.

“I’m extremely passionate about educational technology, because I feel that we need to prepare students to leave here ready to interact and integrate into a society that is focused on web-based interactions,” she said. “And I also feel that, if you look at college and career readiness standards, we exceed many of the academic standards, but one of the things that businesses really focus on is the ability of kids/employees to work collaboratively to solve real-world problems.”

Ackerman has been very impressed with CCSD’s work with collaborative spaces.

“I think one of the smart, visionary decisions that the previous Superintendent had was the concept of these maker-spaces, because they really have kids applying content in real-life application.” She points to the district’s redesign of school spaces to support STEAM work.

“We have our iLab in the high school, and we’re beginning to think differently in our elementary schools by incorporating some of the practices in our high school. We’re looking at spaces differently.” She described a pilot project at Westorchard “where we’re really looking at our classroom design in a way that supports student collaboration.”

Challenges Ahead

As Superintendent, Ackerman is an integral part of the CCSD Board of Education. “It’s a partnership, so every meeting I’m there with them, preparing the agenda, preparing reports for the community, for the Board of Education on our progress and what we’ve been focused on. We have a very dedicated group of individuals from all sorts of constituencies. I feel so fortunate to be able to work for this Board of Education. They’re really focused on the kids.”

Upon arriving in Chappaqua, Ackerman has had numerous “entrance meetings” with different constituent groups, all confirming the CCSD’s strength. “The faculty, staff, and administrative team are extremely strong, very professional, and devoted to our kids in a way that’s probably unique compared to other districts,” she said. “You have some of the top people in their profession working in this district with our students. This is where you want to teach: the professional development, the commitment of the community towards providing the best education for the children here, is unparalleled.”

One of the biggest challenges facing the district that she has been asked to focus on is communication and transparency. “Some of the things that we’re already in the process of engaging in will be re-designing our website, thinking about how we’re structuring our board meetings, talking about what can we share versus what can’t we share, and just being really cognizant of making sure that people feel comfortable with the processes that we have in place,” Ackerman explained.

“We have a lot of committees – including communications – that look at a lot of many different aspects of our program,” she continued. “I look forward to leveraging some of those committees to talk about what I heard in entrance meetings. One of the things that we’ve been talking about in terms of communication is our social media presence – we really don’t have one. Can we have a voice on social media? These are all things that are important but they’re a process and they take time,” she added.

Ackerman thinks that the team in place is up to the challenge, brushing aside the idea that a consultant or public relations firm might be needed. “I just think we need to work with the people that we have and work with our parents to all be comfortable, because I think, in terms of people feeling like they want more communication from the district that can get that feedback from our community and use that to figure out how we’re going to move forward.” Ackerman is on it.

She noted that she has already engaged in some outreach with local publications, this one included. “I think we need to look at that,” she said. “I’ve already made some contact with our local media providers, I’ve tried to build relationships with our newspaper, because I think there’s a lot going on here that we can highlight as well. I feel like it’s an opportunity for us.”

Ackerman also recognizes that there is work to be done as far as instilling strong values in students of an affluent district. She recalled that one of the focus areas of this past summer’s administrative retreat was the social and emotional growth of students, which she described as an integral piece of the academic program and “one of our responsibilities.”

“I know that there’s been a lot of work done in individual buildings around this particular issue with staff members and under the leadership of the administration, so one of the areas that I know we’re going to look at collaboratively as a district K-12 is how we’re all working collectively on that important component of the academic program,” she said.

She also noted the need to help the student body appreciate diversity and build tolerance. “I support social justice [and was] trained by the Social Justice Institute,” Ackerman said. “I find that it has to be embedded in the curriculum and that it’s something that happens on a regular basis in the classrooms through teachers interactions with kids, but I also know there’s value in having teacher-student connections and individual conversations that focus on these issues specifically.” She is working on figuring out how to structure the school day around promoting “common values that we all value as humans and that we need to partner on and complement each other from home to school.”

Shown here with Christine Ackerman (L-R): Georgia Rappaport, Sara Albert, School Board member Vicki Tipp, Luke Leopold and Jared Saiontz

Nutrition and Fitness

Ackerman, an avid runner (five to seven miles every morning before going to work), is an advocate in fitness and healthy eating, for herself, her children and the students in the district. “I think it’s important for my own kids to see me valuing my health and to be healthy, so I am committed to making sure that our kids [do the same],” she said. She also notes the evidence that supports how nutrition affects school performance; “there’s so much research that supports how students come to school, and what happens in the morning, particularly around what they’re eating in terms of preparing them for instruction, so I think how our kids spend their lunch breaks and what they eat during their lunch breaks are important, absolutely.”

First Impressions

One of Ackerman’s early experiences as the CCSD Superintendent was marching in the town’s Memorial Day Parade and meeting Hillary and Bill Clinton and Governor Andrew Cuomo. “It was amazing for me to be able to be in the presence of the former President and the Secretary of State. They took time with me to find out where I was from, and offered their assistance with any support that I would need. They affirmed to me how great the community was. I was honored,” she said. However, what impressed her even more was that the Board of Education immediately followed these illustrious residents in the parade. “What I found most telling though about that experience, and this really for me put in perspective how much this community values education, was the parade order was the President, Secretary of State, the Governor, and the Chappaqua Board of Education. That was amazing to me.

To see that level of commitment that this community has toward its schools and respect,” Ackerman recalled.

The school year got off to an exciting start, too, with a packed-house September 8 community event celebrating the new Greeley track and field under the newly-installed lights. “This community event was designed to foster a sense of togetherness amongst our K-12 students and community,” she said. “We also wanted to take a moment to truly celebrate our new facility that will be used by all facets of our community.” Indeed, the event was attended even by Chappaqua’s youngest residents and enjoyed by all.

An emotional and inspiring event on that same field followed several weeks later, as the Greeley boys’ varsity soccer team dedicated a home game to one of its own who tragically passed away this summer. “One of my most memorable moments so far was watching the boys’ soccer team honor Casey Taub [who had worn uniform number 22] by leading the crowd in a standing ovation as they played during the 22nd minute of a recent home game,” Ackerman recalled. “The senior captain even scored a goal at 22:22 – it was such a moving tribute to this young man. I continue to be impressed by the quality of instruction and the caliber of students who are members of the Chappaqua Central School District community.”

PHOTO BELOW (Left to Right): State Assemblyman David Buchwald, Superintendent Christine Ackerman, CCSD Board Member Vicki Tipp, Senator Terrence Murphy, Jared Saiontz at the mic, Stacey Saiontz, Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein, Liz Rappaport, Luke Leopold, Sara Albert, Georgia Rappaport (holding white bag). Additional people who have helped advocate for the bills and traveled to Albany who are not pictured are: Patty Albert (mom), Elliott Saiontz (older brother of food allergic child); Heather Brown (mom) and Spencer Brown (food allergic child); Jill Mindlin (mom) and Maya Mindlin (food allergic child); and Jon Terrry (advocate whose sister passed from allergic reaction to a bee sting).

She is also impressed with the philanthropy and advocacy of student and parent groups. For example, “our students and parents worked together to advocate for legislation that would allow bus drivers who are not employees of the District to administer EpiPens.” She added that “we are currently working to develop a Board of Ed policy in conjunction with Chappaqua Transportation to support our students in this way.”

To that end, Ackerman wanted the community to be aware that the District will be engaging in “a strategic cohesive planning process to identify long and short term goals in relation to the Board of Education’s strategic questions over the course of this school year.” And most importantly, Ackerman stressed that she is available to talk with anyone about any issue.

“I am available and people can feel free to contact me if they need help, if they want to talk to me, they have ideas, I’m open. They can email me at chackerman@ccsd.ws or they could set up a meeting. I’m here, I’m open, and I’m here to be their partner. I’m really looking forward to those experiences with people here.”


Bus Drivers Get Green Light to Administer EpiPens

At her first press conference for the district at Douglas Grafflin Elementary School, Christine Ackerman joined parents and students and Westchester sponsors of a new law passed to protect and save the lives of students who suffer from severe allergies. Assemblyman David Buchwald and State Senator Terrence Murphy co-sponsored the legislation which now allows school bus drivers and others employed by firms providing services to schools to administer epinephrine when a child suffers anaphylaxis shock.

Christine Ackerman: “Our students and parents worked together to advocate for legislation that would allow bus drivers who are not employees of the District to administer EpiPens.”

David Buchwald: “The New York State Department of Health will need to move quickly to issue the regulations necessary for the timely implementation of this act.”

Terrence Murphy: “When a child experiences anaphylaxis, there is little time to wait for emergency personnel to arrive. Every second is crucial.”

Advocate Stacey Saiontz: “Recently, a school bus driver in Massachusetts saved a student’s life when emergency personnel could not arrive on the scene in time. I am so pleased New York school bus drivers will be able to do the same.”


Grace Bennett is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Inside Chappaqua Magazine. This interview was edited by long time Inside Press contributor Debra Hand. Special thanks as well to intern Amanda Kraus for transcribing.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Administration, Bus Drivers, CCSD Superintendent, Chappaqua Central School District, Christine Ackerman, EpiPen, health, nutrition, school

Food, Glorious Food …with Caution

November 29, 2014 by The Inside Press

Organic radishes
Organic radishes

By Sarah Ellen Rindsberg

In the carefree days of yesteryear, people gave nary a thought to the types of food they chose to savor. Parties were planned and no one asked whether anyone was allergic to anything. Children took their favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to school, no questions asked. Supermarket products were fairly uniform; white Wonder bread reigned in the bread aisle and Fluff was a pantry staple. The admonition, “stay safe,” pertained to keeping a close eye on one’s valuables and person.

Fast forward to today, and life, as it relates to food, has totally changed. Peanut-free tables are de rigueur at schools and camps. Dinner parties are painstakingly planned around friends’ gluten-free, lactose-intolerant, vegetarian/vegan and organic-only (to name just a few) diets. For some, food choices are governed by the desire to maintain a sensible weight; “jumping on the gluten-free wagon makes it easier to watch my diet,” says one local resident who requested anonymity. Still, for an increasing number of people for whom what passes through their lips can be a matter of life and death, food is far more and increasingly complicated. The term “food allergen”, now an integral part of contemporary language, is defined as a substance that causes a reaction in a person who has a food allergy.

What are these maleficent allergens and why should we care? The most common allergens–referred to as “the top 8”–are: dairy, egg, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts ( i.e. walnuts, pecans, almonds, and cashews), fish and shellfish.

The National Restaurant Association places a high priority on everything related to food safety. ServSafe, their food training and safety program, is regarded as gospel among the 500,000 restaurant 
businesses they represent. They cover the rudiments (including hand washing, proper preparation and temperature guidelines) as well as the more extensive allergen training.

ServSafe product manager, David Crownover stresses that food safety begins with the source. “One o

Organic ginger root and oriental yams
Organic ginger root and oriental yams

f the basic foundations of food safety is to be using a reputable food supplier.” When frozen items arrive: “Look at the truck. Keep track of the temperature they’re being delivered at.”

The issue of food safety in general (with or without allergies) is practically mind-boggling in modern times. To eat or not to eat is not the question; it is instead, is it safe to eat? Normal precautions like washing all fruits and vegetables are not sufficient for some. Hyper-vigilance toward anything containing pesticides, GMOs, additives and hormones prevails.

Sage advice is proffered by Joseph Gentilesco, Captain of the Chappaqua Ambulance Corps. He begins by recounting a mother’s call to 911, saying that her young son who has a food allergy was going into shock. She had administered their EpiPen (one of a handful of well known trade-named epinephrine autoinjectors), and was waiting for it to take effect. The boy recovered and was fine until the next day when the same call came in. This time, the boy’s older brother had been eating peanuts and the younger one helped himself. The moral of this story is that both preparedness and supervision play key roles in food safety too.

“Shock is a life-threatening situation,” Gentilesco says. Even if people have used an EpiPen and feel confident that they or their friend or relative will be fine, Gentilesco prefers that they call 911: “We’d rather come and hear we’re not needed [than be called later for something much more serious].” He also emphasizes that the presence of an EpiPen (and a backup in case a second dose is needed) is not enough. Careful, periodic examination of the expiration date is also vital. When driving a bus for Chappaqua Transportation, another of the hats he wears, Gentilesco not only asks all allergic children to show him where their medicine is stowed; he goes the extra mile to verify that the medicine is effective.

Auvi-Q epinephrine injection device, front and back
Auvi-Q epinephrine injection device, front and back

Food safety is paramount in Dr. Susan Rubin’s mind. Rubin, a self-described eco-gastronomically focused food educator and leader in the world of school-food activism, cites many threats including one in corn and soy, both of which are likely to have a residue of the pesticide Roundup. “Your best bet is to go organic,” Rubin urges. That being said, she also advises being discriminate in determining what is truly organic. Rubin cautions against the “health halo” of enterprises like Whole Foods where the perception is that everything is organic, while in reality, it is not. Rubin grows her own food–she is the co-chair of the Chappaqua community garden–and is a member of the Roxbury Farm CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). She also mentions a rule of thumb 
she instilled in her children at a very 
young age, “If you can’t pronounce it, it’s not food.”

Still, even Rubin keeps food safety in perspective. “Eliminate foods with the highest pesticide residue (non organic strawberries top this list). I eat clean 80% of the time. Perfection simply doesn’t exist.”

Sarah Ellen Rindsberg embraces the knowledge acquired herein and does not take it with a grain of salt.

—-

Food Safety: Be an Advocate for your Family

For many families here and around the world, a laissez-faire attitude toward food consumption is not an option. Chappaqua resident Ellen Byck vividly recalls the moment she realized that food choices were to be strictly regulated. Her young daughter Sasha had been terribly ill and, despite many visits to the pediatrician, no diagnosis had been made. So, when Sasha was two years old, Ellen took her to see a gastroenterologist. “He knew immediately by looking at her,” Ellen says.

The specialist diagnosed celiac disease–an autoimmune disorder in which gluten consumption harms the small intestine. Blood work and a gluten-free diet were ordered. Sasha, now a healthy college freshman, categorizes herself as “a very cautious person.” She reads labels religiously and eschews risk by avoiding known dangers–gluten, peanuts and peas.

She emphasizes the importance not only of having an Auvi-Q device (another of the well known epinephrine autoinjectors) on hand at all times, but being trained in its use as well. Sasha plans to study hospitality and is cognizant of the skill set she brings to the table:

“Because I’ve had these allergies, I know what it’s like to order something and not have it prepared properly. I’ve had to suffer the consequences.” Under her watch, she vows to “make sure that what people are asking [in terms of dietary requests] really does happen.”

Another recent HGHS graduate, Rachel Schelling is her own best advocate. “Not long ago, I went to a new restaurant in Mount Kisco for the first time. I said, ‘I have a severe nut allergy, what’s your protocol?’” The staff’s explanation of their precautionary procedures assured her that it was safe to patronize the establishment. Rachel credits her parents for teaching her what to ask and how to listen, interpret and follow up. Parents who teach and model effective allergy interventions empower their children as they grow.

– Sarah Ellen Rindsberg

 

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: allergens, EpiPen, food allergies, ServSafe

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